Ichijou Days
by GlaringEyes
Summary: When Karen Ichijou falls into a coma, her cousin Midori gets a feeling that this situation is oddly familiar to her. Meanwhile, in another part of the town, a certain female figure appears instead of Imadori's hand.
1. Sudden News

**Hello, hello, my cherished readers! Thanks for your time to read my work!**

**Just a few remarks about the story timeline: it takes place two years after the events of Midori no Hibi (or Midori Days, in English) and some time after School Rumble 2nd term. On MnH side, the base will be the manga (as it is more complete than the 13-episodes anime). On SR side, it'll follow the anime (as the 2nd term was the last aired season. I hope they continue it).**

**I do not own School Rumble nor Midori no Hibi. They belong to Jin Kobayashi and Kazurou Inoue, respectively.**

I will use the following typing standards:

"Normal speech"

'Inner thoughts'

"YELLING!"

_Flashbacks, written passages_

* * *

**CHAPTER 01 – SUDDEN NEWS**

It was a calm spring evening in the Kasugano mansion. The air was still a bit chilly from the past winter days, but not such a deal. The trees in the vast front garden were still bare, soon to grow brand new leaves.

Inside the two-story estate, however, was much cozier. One room especially was particularly bright.

It was one of the building's many office rooms, which consisted of a few bookshelves, a lit fireplace to keep it warm and a medium sized table at the center. Sat around the table, two figures were focused on reading the pile of books and papers on it. One of the figures was a somewhat well-built, blond young man. The other was a petite-framed, green-haired girl, roughly the same age.

The entire place was in absolute silence, only the crack of fire piercing through it now and then. The two people seemed completely absorbed in the books, until the blond one sighed loudly and dropped his forehead onto the table.

"Aaaahhnnn!" moaned the young man, almost crying. "It's no good, Midori! I can't get any of this!"

"Don't give up, Seiji-kun!" interjected the girl kindly, looking up from her book. "You just need to concentrate a little more. You can do it!"

"No, I can't." Seiji said in a defeated tone, closing and putting his book aside. "I don't even know why I'm doing this. What the hell did I have in mind when I decided to go to college?"

"Seiji-kun!" Midori scolded him, although not in an angry voice.

"But it's true! I don't understand a damn thing out of these damn books!" the blond retorted, exasperated. "I'm simply not fit for this kind of life."

"That's not true!" she replied. "If you weren't, you wouldn't have gotten that scholarship to the local college."

"Yeah, a scholarship that I'm about to lose thanks to my poor grades in the last exams," he sulked, crossing his arms and lowering his eyes. "I shouldn't have ever done that. Maybe I'd be better off working in my sister's gang, or in the underground fights, or..."

That was then he lifted his gaze toward Midori and saw a heart-breaking view. She was staring at him, with a truly sad face, her eyes welling up with tears.

"Hey, hey, Midori," he spoke in a gentler tone, trying to console her. Seiji always felt bad for making a girl cry. "No need to cry, okay? I wasn't talking seriously about that last part."

Midori sniffed and wiped off a tear with her finger. "You're much more than a delinquent, Seiji-kun. You're better than that. I know you are."

Seiji was aware of that. She never stopped trusting him. And she felt hurt every time he depreciated himself like this. If there was one thing that became crystal clear from the long days he had spent with her as his right hand (literally!), it was that.

He recalled the nostalgic days when they had been strangely fused in a single body. It had happened only a little more than two years ago, however now it felt like decades. Whereas almost every person in school, heck in the entire town, had regarded him as nothing but a thug, Midori had always managed to find something good about him. She always saw beyond that tough shell of his, admiring the noble soul he possessed. She always put his needs before her own. Damn, she even managed to fall in love with someone like him. A love that many times he thought he was unworthy of.

And it was that selfless, unbending kindness of her that made him change... for the best.

.

"_You'll be graduating this year, won't you, Seiji-kun?" Midori commented, as she and Seiji walked from school._

"_Yeah... time sure flies, huh?" he replied in a light mood. Ever since Midori had returned to her actual body, walking home together, holding hands with her was one of the things he enjoyed the most. It brought him back memories of the old days._

_Even if she didn't remember it._

"_What do you plan to do after graduation?"_

"_Hmm, I don't know yet..." he replied. "Maybe I could become a motorcycle mechanic. I always had a thing for bikes, you know."_

_Midori couldn't help but be a bit disappointed at his choice of profession. She was kind of expecting him to aim higher in life. Not that she was ambitious or anything, but she thought he could accomplish more than that._

"_Really? You never considered going to college?"_

"_College?" he repeated. "Uh, I'm not sure. My grades kind of suck. Besides, it's very expensive... and surely I won't allow you to pay for my tuition." He answered, keeping that last phrase to himself._

"_You could apply for a scholarship. And there's still a whole year to make up for your grades."_

_Seiji remained in silence for a few moments. He was pondering about what his girlfriend said. During all his existence, he had never considered about his future. For a delinquent, there was only the present and nothing else. But now those days were over. He had made up his mind to spend the rest of his life with Midori. Consequently, he'd have to start considering other options if he wanted to be a good boyfriend (and futurely a good husband) to her._

_Midori also stayed quiet for some time, until she shyly voiced her opinion. "Uh, if you want, Seiji-kun... I can help you to study. I have done prep courses in my school."_

_The young man's eyes widened in surprise. "What? You've just entered second year and already did prep courses?"_

_She smiled and nodded. "Yes, Ogurabashi High prepares its students for college ever since their first year."_

_Seiji was pretty much astonished at the standards set by Midori's school. Indeed the snotty rich school was something. But then, remembering his study nights with 'miniature' Midori and how she knew all the stuff (despite it being one year ahead of hers), it shouldn't have come as a surprise._

"_Are you sure, Midori?" he expressed his concerns. "I don't wanna drag you behind on your studies."_

_She promptly shook her head. "You'd never be a bother to me, Seiji-kun. I'll always be happy, as long as I'm with you."_

_As these words sank, she blushed deeply and looked away, too embarrassed to face him. Unknown to her, Seiji's face was also tinged in a bright shade of red._

.

Going to college, studying to keep a scholarship. Those were things the old 'Mad Dog' Sawamura would have never considered doing. It still amazed him how much he had changed thanks to her.

"Alright, alright." Seiji conceded, opening the once cast aside book again. "Let's go back to studying, okay?"

Midori's dejected face immediately brightened up with his words. "Okay!"

Seiji couldn't help but sometimes keep up his anti-social habits just to stay true to himself and have Midori pick him up for the sake of it. There was still his old pride that wanted to prevent her from knowing that she had such an impact on him. Nonetheless, even if Seiji didn't notice, he was becoming more and more like her.

Therefore, doing his best was the least he could do to repay all the trust she'd deposited onto him.

In fact, this was his reason for being at the mansion. Normally, study sessions were carried out in Seiji's house, but Midori had insisted to do it here for two reasons: one, he wouldn't have to worry about cooking dinner, as her maid Makie would be in charge of it. Two, they wouldn't have to worry about it getting too late, thus Seiji wouldn't need to escort his girlfriend home. And if he happened to lose the last night train, he could always sleep in one of the mansion's spare rooms. Everything was in order to help him stay focused on his studies and better his grades. Seiji couldn't be more grateful for that.

Suddenly, the phone in the hallway rang. The green-haired girl stood up and went to answer it, since their room was closer and Makie was probably busy preparing dinner.

Seiji remained at the table, struggling against the evil book in his hands. He could hear his girlfriend's footsteps outside the room, approaching the annoying noise source. Said noise stopped at the same time as the receiver was pulled out of the cradle.

"Moshi moshi," he could hear Midori's voice answering, so silent was the mansion. The employees probably had already left for the day, only the loyal maid Makie remaining.

"Ah, hi Aunt Natsumi!" she said out in a delighted tone. She sounded happy to hear again of this aunt of hers. Then she continued, alternating her talk with the person on the other side of the call.

"Yes, it's been a while... I'm fine now... No, really, I'm fine. You don't have to worry about it... so, how's Karen and Kousuke doing?"

A long pause fell afterwards, lasting almost two minutes. It seemed like her aunt was taking her time speaking about these people Midori mentioned. It went on until his girlfriend abruptly raised her voice.

"What? Karen's what?" her tone now denoting shock.

By now, Seiji had looked up from the book and turned his gaze toward the door, as if he could listen better to the conversation that way.

"It can't be!" she resumed, now expressing concern. The talk continued on for several more seconds. "Sorry, Auntie, but Mom's not here right now. She's on a business trip and will be back only next week. It's just me and..." she was about to mention her boyfriend, yet decided not to for now. "My maid, Makie-san."

After all, a man and a woman alone in a house while the woman's mother was away could be easily taken in the wrong way. So far, only her mom, her childhood friend Kouta and the house staff (for the sake of letting him in the estate) knew of her relationship with Seiji.

More minutes of tense silence passed until Midori spoke again, her voice still worried. "Well, I think I can help somehow... Yes, I don't have school tomorrow, I can come over... I'll be there in the morning... Oh, it's nothing, Auntie... Okay, bye-bye then."

There came the hanging up sound, followed by the pounding of footsteps coming closer to the door.

As soon as Midori came into view, Seiji immediately noticed her apprehensive face. She must have received some really bad news.

"What's going on?" the blond asked, out of concern too.

"It's my cousin, Karen," she barely whispered. "Auntie said she fell into a coma."

* * *

******Moshi moshi = hello (on the phone)**

******I shall be using some Japanese expressions, just as the honorifics used in the manga/anime. I feel like they give a closer feeling to the story.**

******So tell me what you think of the plot. Interesting? Original? Crappy? Stupid? Please review.**


	2. Big Surprise

**My greatest thanks to fellow writer too-much-romance, who beta-read and even gave suggestions to this chapter.**

**I do not own School Rumble nor Midori no Hibi. They belong to Jin Kobayashi and Kazurou Inoue, respectively.**

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**CHAPTER 02 – BIG SURPRISE**

Among the many commercial establishments in Yagami City, this one didn't look like anything special. With the small, orange sign with a white dove picture on it and ordinary glass panels windows, it didn't stand out much, so most outsiders would simply pass by, not sparing it a second glance.

For the city inhabitants though, they knew it contained far more than what its simple appearance showed. This knowledge was particularly widespread among the females, as its business activities were directed mainly to them. As a result, the establishment had no need to spend money on advertisement. Good recommendations from happy customers were better than any fancy gimmick or placard.

Yes, 'Now Bird' Hair Salon was considered by many as the best beauty center in the entire town.

And, as expected from most small businesses, the family that ran the place lived right there, on the second floor of the building.

In that residential part, a particular room stood out. Not due to its size or purpose, instead for its peculiar decoration. Call it irony or karma, but despite the hair salon below being female-oriented, this room would have unsettled any carrier of double X-chromosomes. Wherever one would look, posters and more posters depicting 'inappropriate-for-minors' material could be seen from the outside. And that was only from first sight. One could just imagine what lay inside the cupboard and the desk drawers.

But other than that, it was a pretty normal room. Ideal for single person, with the aforementioned cupboard and desk, a laptop computer, a nightstand, a small AC unit sticking out of the wall and, of course, the bed at the corner.

The male occupant of the room was currently lying on the latter furniture, arms and legs spread all over it, unmoving except for his steady breathing. He was of medium height, with short, messy, tawny-blond hair and a rather dopey expression (which showed even in his sleep).

This was only physically. Personally, all those who knew this guy would also classify him as the greatest, most insistent skirt-chaser in the town. Actually 'bra-chaser' would be more accurate as his personal preference for big-breasted girls was no secret. Most of the posters in his room testified for that.

It was early Sunday, so it was expected for Kyousuke Imadori to still be sleeping. After all, going out on dates all the time was a tough job.

Suddenly, an annoying beeping noise went off, his alarm clock on the nightstand.

With a lazy movement, he shut the alarm off. For a moment, he thought of going back to sleep, now that the irritating sound was over. But then, he recalled that it was Sunday and he wouldn't want to waste his free day on the bed. No, he had plans for today. He was going to do what he always did on free days: call any pretty girls he was acquainted with and invite them on dates.

So, still half-sleepy, he reached up for his cell on the nightstand and scrolled through his contacts list.

'Let's see who I'm inviting today... Kozue-chan would be great. She's always fun to hang around.' He thought, while looking for her number.

It was then he stumbled upon a particular name: 'Ichi-san', the nick he'd given to Karen Ichijou.

For some unknown reason, he left the cursor over her name for a while. Inside his mind, he was gathering what he knew about Ichijou. They hadn't gone on many dates so far. Only one or two, as he recalled. And even then, he didn't remember much about them. In fact, the most prevalent thing he recalled about her was her absurdly supernatural strength. Imadori even created some joke theories on it, like she was a human-disguised alien or bionic robot.

Imadori, of course, remembered her younger brother Kousuke. He was a nice little fella, who shared his love for the Doujibiron super sentai series. More than once he had dropped by his (and consequently, Ichijou's) house to play card games or simulate a Doujibiron battle (in which he was often the villain or Doujibiron Blue, Kousuke was Green and Ichijou, Pink). Sometimes the three of them hung around, plus Lala Gonzalez (a pervert image crossed his mind as he pictured the Mexican transfer student, and even considered calling her, until it occurred to him that she'd most likely beat the heck out of him). But, of course, those didn't count as dates.

Finally, Imadori moved the cursor down, resuming his search for Mihara's number. The fact was, if he hadn't gone on many dates with Ichijou, he probably wasn't that much attracted to her. And to be considered attractive in his book, a mandatory rule was at least a D-cup. Having found Mihara, he clicked to call.

Seconds later, a recorded message spoke. "You've called Kozue Mihara. I can't answer at the moment, so please leave a message after the beep."

Sighing in frustration, Imadori ended the call. It was still too early and most people wouldn't answer now. He put the cell back on the nightstand and, for the first time in the day, he got up from the bed and stretched his arms, causing a popping sound to come out of them.

"Man, slept like a rock today," he commented to himself, and then started scratching his head. "Let's grab some breakfast and..."

"Ouch!"

A female voice seemed to have cried right beside him. He looked to his right but saw nobody. Was it his mother's voice through the walls? Or was it just an impression?

"Strange. I'm sure I heard someone crying." He muttered. When he started scratching his head again...

"Ow, it hurts!"

Okay, now he was sure he had heard something. And it wasn't his mother's voice, as the voice was too girlish. Oddly enough though, the voice sounded familiar to him, like he'd heard it from somewhere before.

Nevertheless, no matter where he looked, there was only him inside the room. He was beginning to get worried, when his left hand absentmindedly touched his right.

Or at least what was _supposed_ to be his right hand. As they touched, his fingers felt something akin to hair, but not his normal arm hair. It was denser, silkier, almost like women hair. And when he looked down at his hands, he noticed it was green as well. It took a while for his sluggish brain to process the whole picture: his right hand not only had green hair, but also a nose, mouth, two arms of its own, and a pair of big bright eyes staring at him.

"Imadori-san?" his hand's 'mouth' uttered.

As comprehension finally sank in, his once semi-closed eyes widened to the size of dishes, as his jaw simultaneously dropped almost to the floor.

"What the hell..." he managed to stutter. Imadori was at a complete loss of words to describe what he was just witnessing...

_There was a freaking miniature person as his right hand!_

A girl. And what terrified him the most: he knew the girl!

His eyes were not the only ones that widened. The girl's eyes also got impossibly bigger, not out of shock, but of joy. For a moment, he could almost see tears welling up within them.

"Yes, it's really Imadori-san!" she squealed loudly and lunged at his face, hugging it passionately.

Without even the initial shock subsiding, and now with the 'girl hand' clinging to his face, it certainly became too much for his state of mind.

"WAAAHH! GET OFF OF ME!" he freaked out, desperately pushing the girl (and his arm) away from his head. In doing so, however, he pushed down his pajama sleeve and revealed her 'lower body'.

Time stopped for a split second. Both the girl and Imadori blushed profusely at the sight. No matter how much of a pervert he was, the sight of boobs on his arm was simply too unexpected.

"KYAAAHH!" she yelled, covering herself again with the fabric. "Don't look!"

That was when another obvious fact registered in her mind. "Eeehh, what am I doing on Imadori-san's arm?" she shouted, noticing she was using the boy's sleeve to cover herself.

By now, Imadori had finally recovered his voice. "I-I'm the one who s-should be asking that. W-What is Ichi-san doing in m-my arm?" he stammered, still astounded.

An awkward, long silence ensued as they stared at each other. Two pairs of lead gray eyes were locked upon each other, whereas neither was sure what to say, let alone what to think. It was as though they needed more time to get a full grasp of the situation.

Ichijou was the first to break the silence. "I-I don't know it myself..." she shyly started, fidgeting with her hands. "The last thing I remember was being in bed and then, when I woke up, I was here."

All right, that didn't help the situation. He didn't know how she ended up there. Neither did she. Still she was there and that was what mattered. For once, Imadori pinched himself in the cheek, hoping this was just a weird dream. Maybe he was still half-sleepy and this was only a hallucination. Unfortunately, the pain felt very real, and so did the bizarre scene. Done with all that double-checking, he turned to her again.

"Ichi-san..." he began this time, very tense. "I'm not sure about you, but this is too weird. Can't you just scram and give me my hand back?"

The green-haired maiden looked suddenly hurt at his choice of words. 'Scram'? Wasn't he happy to see her? She was overjoyed to be with him and now he was plainly dismissing her!?

"I-I can't," she spoke apologetically, almost crying. "I would if I could, but... I don't know how, Imadori-san."

"Eh?" the boy gaped, getting more and more alarmed. "What do you mean, you don't know?"

"S-sorry, I'm really s-sorry," her voice getting more and more trembling. "I told you I don't know how I came here, so I don't know how to leave either."

Great. She was bound to his arm. _Indefinitely_. Imadori normally appreciated the company of females, especially the cute ones. But this was a bit too much. He liked girls _beside _him, not _tied _to him. If there was a good time to freak out again, that would be now.

"Noooo, it can't be!" Imadori whined to himself, almost on the verge of crying too. "I can't stay like this forever! How am I supposed to go on dates with Ichi-san stuck on my arm like this? What will chicks say? They'll think I'm some sort of Siamese freak!"

This would have continued on, if it wasn't for his mother's voice calling from the door.

"Kyousuke! What's going on?"

Crap, his mother must have heard the 'talk'. With all the panic, he seemed to have forgotten that his mother was right in the next room. He instantly hid Ichijou under his pillow a split second before the door cracked open.

"Good morning, Mom." He greeted uneasily, attempting to sound the most casual possible.

"Why so much noise so early?" his mother asked inquisitively. "I swear I heard a woman scream from here."

Imadori started sweating bullets. No matter how strange, how urgent the problem appeared to be, he didn't want to show it to anybody yet, not even to his parent. He might not be the sharpest knife in the drawer, but even he understood the implications of his peculiar predicament. He had to come up with a good excuse, and fast.

Then he nervously glanced to his laptop. "Ah, that was just a video I was watching in the computer. The one with Azu Kimonaha that Nishimoto lent me."

It seemed to do the trick. His mom only shot him a stern glare and sighed. "Gee, you're watching those filthy things from Nishimoto-kun's video shop? Seriously, I think it's about time you've outgrown it."

As she left, Imadori released his breath in relief; at least he was calmer now. He pulled Ichijou back from under the pillow.

"Waaahh!" she gasped, her face flushed by the lack of air. "Imadori-san, that was mean! I thought I was going to suffocate down there!"

"Sorry," he quickly apologized. He didn't mean to bring her harm, it had been more like a reflex than anything (from the times when he had to hide his porn mags). Nonetheless, that reminded him of another problem. "Ichi-san, since you can't leave my arm, how are we supposed to walk around like this?"

Ichijou lowered her head, her previous hurt momentarily forgotten. It didn't take a genius to know the fuss it'd cause if anyone ever saw them. The last thing she'd want for both of them was ending up in some freak show or as test subjects in some lab.

That indeed posed a problem. And one without easy solution.

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******Please leave a review. This is a story I've been thinking ever since I noticed the striking resemblance between Midori and Ichijou, not only physical, but also psychologically. Let me hear your thoughts about it.**


	3. Familiar Situation

**Once again, my sincere thanks to too-much-romance for beta-reading.  
**

**I do not own School Rumble nor Midori no Hibi. They belong to Jin Kobayashi and Kazurou Inoue, respectively.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 03 – FAMILIAR SITUATION**

The train to Yagami City ran over the tracks toward its destiny. The passing landscape alternated between green and gray, wooded areas and buildings.

In one of its wagons, Seiji Sawamura and Midori Kasugano sat beside each other, chatting about the reason they were there.

"So," Seiji said. "This Karen girl, she's the daughter of your mother's younger sister?"

"Yes," Midori answered. "Aunt Natsumi and Mom used to live in Yagami City until Mom got married and my parents moved to our current place."

"Were you close?"

"Well, we keep in touch. I used to visit Karen and Kousuke often until my first year in Ogurabashi High. But then the school schedule started getting to me and I could only see her during breaks."

"And is this cousin of yours younger than you?" he asked. It wasn't common for Seiji to be that chatty; however, he was curious about his girlfriend's family. They had been together for almost two years (including the time she had been his hand), yet he barely knew a thing about her side of the family and she knew the whole story about his. Of course, his older sister Rin was the only family he could really call so, but still...

"She's two years younger than me. And Kousuke must be ten, I guess."

"I see."

Then Midori changed the subject; there was something she wanted to voice out.

"You know, Seiji-kun," she begun. "You didn't have to come. You should have stayed behind, to study, so you can better your grades."

He frowned slightly. "What are you saying, Midori?" he said firm, but not angrily. "There's no way I'm letting you go into another town, unaccompanied. Who knows what you may run into."

"It's just a family visit. I'm sure there won't be any problems." She tried to reassure him.

"Yeah, but I'd rather be safe and be there for you in case it does." He stated, turning his face away.

Truth to be told, he didn't want to be separated from her. That was another thing that changed greatly about him during the last years. As his old delinquent self, Seiji didn't mind being alone. He had always lived by himself and had never been the clingy type to begin with. Apparently, however, being forced to share a body with Midori for so long had impacted him more than he anticipated. He would never admit it openly, but he craved her presence close to him. It gave him the old odd sense of fulfillment in his right hand.

As he looked at Midori again, he saw the most beautiful smile she'd ever mustered, ever since the time she'd confessed to him. She looked very delighted, to say the least.

"Thanks, Seiji-kun," she spoke sweetly. "I'm very happy that you decided to come with me."

He couldn't help but smile in return and place an affectionate arm around her, pulling her closer. "Me, too."

.

The trip had been uneventful and within hours they arrived at Yagami Station. Seiji asked if Midori remembered the address and she stated that it wasn't far, about half an hour on foot. On the way, they bought some fruits as a visitor's gift. It didn't take long to find the place.

The Ichijou estate was a plain ground-level house, made of wood, without any gates or gardens. It was of fair size, enough for a family of four, as long as the occupants didn't require much space.

"That's a pretty normal house," Seiji casually observed. "Considering it's your aunt's house, I kinda expected a huge mansion or something."

"Mom hasn't always been rich, Seiji-kun," Midori clarified. "It was only after she married and started working with Dad in his business that they could afford the place we currently live."

"But your aunt's never considered coming to work with your mother?"

"Mom invited Auntie to do," she recalled. "But Auntie is a bit stubborn. She said she could fend for herself. She may not be rich, but I think she's doing fine anyway."

"Stubbornness huh?" Seiji commented, smirking with the hint of a joke. "Looks like a family trait to me."

"Uh what do you mean?" Midori inquired, eyebrows raised in confusion.

"Well, you stalked me from afar for three years, didn't you? What was that if not stubbornness?"

"Seiji-kun, that was mean!" she scolded him, although in an amused tone.

They both laughed afterwards. Actually it hadn't been so long ago, yet those days of insecurity and longing now seemed so distant, so faded away. By then, her feelings used to be a secret to him. Now they simply couldn't imagine their lives without each other. It was as people said: '_Some day, we'll remember this and laugh_'.

They at last stopped at the entrance door and rang the bell. One minute had passed until they heard footsteps beyond the door. A small boy, with short raven-black hair answered it. His big eyes widened as he realized who the visitor was.

"Midori-nee-chan!" he excitedly lunged at her, wrapping her in a kid's hug. Luckily Seiji was the one carrying the fruit package, otherwise she'd have lost her balance and dropped it to the floor.

"Hello, Kousuke," she greeted, hugging him back. "It's been so long."

Just then another person appeared behind the boy, greeting. "Welcome, Midori-chan."

"Hello, Aunt Natsumi. I came as promised." She greeted the woman, now identified as her aunt. Seiji got a bit dazed by the lady's beautiful looks, with her silky long green hair. She looked a lot like Mrs. Kasugano, except for possessing bigger 'assets' (which of course didn't go unnoticed to a hormonal teen like him).

That was when Seiji's presence was finally noticed by the two residents. Kousuke was the first to speak. "Hey, Midori-nee-chan. Who's he? Your boyfriend?" he asked, in his childish mocking tone.

Even if it was true, Midori couldn't avoid blushing at her cousin's remark. Seiji did too, although it was more concealed. They weren't used to openly admitting their relationship yet.

"Kousuke!" Natsumi scolded her son, who playfully hid behind Midori, putting her between himself and his mother.

Midori took a deep breath and regained her composure. After all, there was nothing to be ashamed of. Seiji and she were dating and this was a fact that all of them eventually would have to learn of.

"That's okay, Auntie," she dismissed. "This is Seiji Sawamura, my boyfriend. He's accompanying me."

"A-HA!" Kousuke shouted. "I knew it!"

Natsumi simply ignored her son's antics and politely bowed to the young man. "Welcome to my house, Seiji-kun. I'm Midori's aunt, Natsumi. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"Oh, likewise, ma'am," he awkwardly bowed back and held out the package. "We uh... brought some fruits."

The older woman smiled in return. "So much kindness. Thank you," she took it and handed it to Kousuke. "Here, Kousuke. Take it to the kitchen, will you?"

"Aye, aye." The boy made a mock salute and ran to the kitchen with the package. Meanwhile, Mrs. Ichijou escorted the visitors inside.

"Ojama shimasu!" the couple announced as they entered.

"You've grown up so much, Midori-chan! To think that shy, withdrawn girl is now with such a handsome boyfriend." She smiled in amusement at seeing their young faces dyed crimson.

The green-haired girl swiftly changed subject. "Auntie, how's Karen? Can we see her?"

The smile on the older woman suddenly faded and was replaced with a saddened expression. "Oh yes. This way, please." They crossed the living room, which was full of scattered toys, probably Kousuke's. "Sorry for the mess. Kousuke is a bit disorganized and I didn't have time to clean it up yet." In the hallway, they stopped at one of the rooms at the back of the house.

Mrs. Ichijou opened the door and went in, Midori following after. Seiji initially stayed in the doorway, reluctant to intrude into a girl's room, but entered when they beckoned him in.

Inside, lying on the bed, seemingly sleeping (and fully dressed, to Seiji's relief), was the person Seiji assumed to be Midori's cousin. And if he had thought his girlfriend's mom and aunt looked alike, he got even more surprised at the striking resemblance between Midori and Karen. They shared the same shoulder-length green hair (Midori's being only a bit lighter in hue), the same small body frame (although Karen's face shape was slightly thinner) and fair skin. Hadn't he known they were cousins, he could almost have mistaken them for twins.

"Hey, Karen," the mother spoke to her sleeping daughter. "Look who's here. It's Midori. Remember her?"

Obviously, Karen didn't answer. She stayed there, unmoving, unresponsive to anyone around. The only proof that she was still alive was her slow, steady breath. Her mother's eyes started brimming with tears.

Then she turned to Midori. Normally, due to courtesy, she wouldn't be that blunt, but the sight of her own daughter in that condition was too much for her. "Midori-chan, the reason I asked you to come was because, not long ago, you had also been in a coma. If you know any way of waking Karen up, please tell me!" she begged, her voice getting strained.

Midori felt her heart sink. It pained her to see her aunt worrying so much about her cousin's conditions, in the same way her own mother had worried during the months she stayed unconscious herself. She wanted to help, she wanted to ease the ache in the heart of a poor mother. It was the least she could do in order to compensate for all the concern she had caused her own mother in the past.

But the problem was she didn't know how. No matter how hard she tried to remember, all the memories she possessed from the coma time were a complete blur to her. Truthfully, hadn't her mother told her, she'd never have guessed she had been in a coma to begin with. A few tidbits and fractured images came back now and then, but nothing that really made sense to her. Mostly faces of people; some she knew, others she didn't. Strangely, however, the face that prevailed the most was Seiji-kun's. Midori had once asked him if he happened to relate to those visions, but he always denied it, stating they were just dreams.

Even if he said so, she couldn't shake off the suspicion that her beloved Seiji was hiding something from her.

Nonetheless, now it wasn't the time for suspicions. She had to find a way to help, and it wouldn't come by dwelling on the past.

"How long has she been like this, Auntie?" Midori asked.

"For the last three days."

"Did the doctors say anything? Any possible diagnosis?"

Natsumi slowly shook her head. "Nothing at all. We firstly presumed it was some sort of bump she might have received on the head. You know your cousin has always been into wrestling and working out."

'Wrestling!?' Seiji mused, intrigued. Karen's body frame would never have passed the impression of a wrestler.

"But the doctors found nothing wrong with her brain. For now, they told us to wait until anything different occurs, but then..." she trailed off, on the verge of breaking down. "When I remember for how long you've been in coma... What if it's something graver, or..."

Midori rubbed her aunt's arm in an attempt to sooth the older woman. "Auntie, calm down. I'm okay now, am I not?"

A few anxious moments had passed until Mrs. Ichijou finally relaxed. "Sorry about this, Midori-chan," she said, visibly calmer. "So, can you wake Karen up?"

A crestfallen expression took over the girl's face. "Sorry, Aunt Natsumi. As much as I try to remember what happened, I simply can't. Even Mom doesn't seem to know exactly what happened. She said I had just woken up, without any warning." That answer naturally didn't please the distressed mother, but before she could have another breakdown, Midori amended, "But I'll try to find out. Perhaps if I stay here and talk to her, I may remember something that could help."

It wasn't a very hopeful possibility, though it was better than nothing, Natsumi presumed. Who knows? Maybe it'd work, and it couldn't hurt to try. Besides, any company during these hard times would be welcome. So she agreed.

"I'll prepare some tea," the lady offered, leaving the couple to talk to her daughter. "Please make yourselves at home."

As she left, Midori sat down on the chair beside Karen. At first, she exchanged some pleasantries ('exchanged' not being the best term, since the conversation was one-sided) and started an idle chat.

From his corner, Seiji observed everything, keeping a straight face. Inside, however, he was in turmoil. No matter how he saw it, this whole situation was awfully familiar to him. And not only the familiarity bothered him. He also felt guilty for keeping Midori in the dark about the time she'd been in that coma. Not that she'd believe it, he thought, but he still pondered whether to tell her or not.

Suddenly, the door opened again. It was Kousuke this time, coming to check on his sister. Seiji kind of expected the boy to start leaping and shouting around like in the house front, but he did none of that. Kousuke was strangely quiet, his face was sullen, looking nothing like his playful self from mere minutes ago. One could only imagine how he was feeling, seeing his older sister in that state.

"Hey, Kousuke." Midori acknowledged his presence, as he sat by the opposite side of the bed. "I was just talking to your sister. Maybe I can remember something that might help."

He looked up at her. "Ah good." He uttered, not with much emotion, then lowered his head again. Apparently this room had the ability to instantly sour the mood of whoever entered it.

And it seemed to have affected Midori as well. In a split second she didn't know what else to chat about, as if she didn't see the point anymore. She begun looking around, as if searching for some subject to discuss.

That was when her eyes fell on the two picture frames over the nightstand. One of them displayed Karen and two other girls, one with long straight brown hair, and another with glasses and dark hair tied in pigtail braids. Those were her cousin's friends, Midori concluded. What drew her attention though, was the other picture.

In it, stood a blond young man, possibly a first year. He had messy hair, his half-dropped eyelids giving him a dopey demeanor, still he was quite attractive. From the casual way he carried himself, he probably wasn't aware of the photo being taken. The fact that there were a few other casual-looking guys around him, likely his friends, also reinforced that theory.

"Kousuke," Midori called, taking the frame off the nightstand and showing it to him. "Who's this guy?"

"Ah, that's Blue!" the boy said, his tone suddenly a bit more cheerful.

"Blue?" Midori raised an eyebrow, doubtful. What a strange name for a person.

"Yep, he's Doujibiron Blue. He comes often to play with us!"

"He does? How do you know him?"

"He's Nee-chan's classmate. I met him in an online forum..." Kousuke then mockingly added, "And I think Nee-chan likes him."

This last piece of information immediately caught Midori's attention. A love crush? Being a romantic woman, this was an issue that greatly interested her.

"So, is he Karen's boyfriend?" she ended up asking. Midori was happy for Karen. She really was, considering how the latter had managed to get herself a boyfriend at such young age, while the former had taken years only to confess.

Her assumptions, however, fell to the ground as Kousuke shook his head.

"Not really. I don't think he likes her back. Nee-chan's always saying he's busy going on dates with other girls."

An unrequited love! An abrupt pain stung the young maiden's heart. Pain caused by the sympathy she felt for her cousin. Unrequited love was a feeling that Midori, sadly, was very familiar with. She knew, better than anyone, what it was like to long for someone, but remain unable to be close to that someone. Due to fear and insecurity, she had admired Seiji from afar for three long years, completely terrified of approaching him. It was only after her months of coma that she finally mustered up the courage to confess to him. Fortunately, he had told her he felt the same (an answer she'd never expected to begin with) and, since then, they were dating.

But what if Seiji had refused her? It was a possibility so scary that Midori didn't even like to consider. Part of her said that she'd grow disillusioned, maybe traumatized, but would overcome it eventually. An even greater part though, feared that she probably wouldn't have been able to live on if he had.

So, Midori could only imagine how much her cousin was hurting due to that rejection.

"That's terrible!" she commented, genuinely compassionate. Then she turned to her boyfriend. "Seiji-kun, did you hear..."

Her speech trailed off the moment she realized the expression on Seiji's face. The blond was wide-eyed, as if shocked with what he'd just heard.

More important, as if he had discovered something.

"Could it be...?" he muttered.

* * *

******Ojama shimasu = Sorry for intruding**

******Nee-chan = older sister, in a casual way**

******Please review.**


	4. First Hardships

**I do not own School Rumble nor Midori no Hibi. They belong to Jin Kobayashi and Kazurou Inoue, respectively.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 04 – FIRST HARDSHIPS**

"Kyousuke," Mrs. Imadori called out. "Will you come over? Breakfast is served!"

The sound of slow footsteps toward the kitchen announced Imadori's arrival, still in his pajamas. His mother noticed his right hand was wrapped into a cloth.

"What happened to your arm?" she inquired, as he sat down at the table.

"Uh," the boy started, trying his best to hide the nervousness. "I got my hand clamped in the bed frame and it's kinda swollen. This is just to keep it protected." He pointed to said hand.

"Oh, dear!" his mother said, approaching him. "Let me take a look."

Before she took his arm though, he quickly pulled it away. "It's okay, Mom. It's just a bit sore, nothing grave." He claimed, now with a tint of anxiety.

"What if you broke a bone or something?" the woman retorted, with her hands on her hips. "Come on, let me see it."

"I'm fine, Mom," he lifted his supposedly injured hand and jerked a few times. "You see, it's moving perfectly. Just a bit sore."

His mother gazed sternly at him and, for a moment, he thought to have screwed up, but then she simply sighed and relented.

"Fine. But let it rest, okay?" she berated, before adding. "And no 'exercise' in the bathroom with this hand."

"Mom..." Imadori laughed the remark off. He couldn't tell if his mother was talking serious or joking.

At first he had some trouble eating with his weak hand, but eventually got used to it. When his mother wasn't looking, he sneaked some bread slices and cookies into his pajama pocket. He also drank only half of his milk glass before standing up.

"Gotsosama deshita." He said, going back to his room, taking the milk glass with him.

As he finally entered his room, he immediately closed the door behind and breathed in relief. His secret was still safe. He sat at his desk, placed the glass on it and proceeded to unwrap his hand.

"Phew!" the little green-haired girl in his hand sighed, also relieved, as the cloth freed her head and arms. "It was hot in there."

"Here," he motioned, setting the smuggled food on the desk for her. "Got some food."

Her eyes beamed at his small gesture of gentleness. With all the trouble she presumed to be causing him, she didn't expect him to be nice to her.

'He picked up food for me. He's so nice!' she thought, smiling in delight. "Thanks, Imadori-san. Itadakimasu!"

She fetched one of the cookies. With all the excitement, she hadn't noticed how hungry she was. Her last meal had been before she fell asleep.

Imadori, on the other hand, wasn't so amused. While she ate, the blond guy rested his left elbow on the desk and leaned his head on his remaining hand. Imadori's mind still refused to believe what he was seeing. How was it possible that Ichijou had become a part of his body? How did she appear there, out of nowhere? And how come she didn't even know how it'd happened? It was simply, utterly crazy. Part of his slow brain was still attempting to convince itself that it was a dream.

There was a time when he referred to this girl as some sort of super-powerful alien, he recalled. It was meant only as a joke naturally, however now he was seriously considering its truthfulness. Scenes of those sci-fi movies where creatures from another space hijacked human bodies were coming to his mind, just as the mental picture of a purple spider-like alien with six large eyes and sharp claws and teeth bursting out of the petite girl and slowly crawling along his arm.

Just to confirm it, he started feeling his right arm up, testing exactly where the touch sensation would stop. He was onto his middle-forearm when a small giggle came out from Ichijou.

"That tickles." She commented, lighthearted, her mouth half-full of bread.

'Okay, up till my middle-forearm, the control's still mine.' He mentally concluded, a bit more relieved. He sincerely hoped her control didn't go any further than this.

"Hey, Ichi-san," he uttered, drawing her attention from the food. "You really don't have a clue of how you ended up here, do you?"

Finished munching a bread slice, she shook her head with a grim expression. "Sorry, it's all a blank."

A sigh of frustration left his mouth. He was considering the impact it'd have in his life. That was when Ichijou started again, this time in a sweeter mood. "But if it serves as solace, I'm very, very happy to be with you, Imadori-san. For me, it's like a dream that came true."

As she understood what she'd just said, her face instantly flushed and she tried to hide it with the gigantic bread slice on her hands.

'Was that supposed to be a solace?' he mentally wondered, annoyed. Maybe it was good to her; he, however, wasn't particularly interested on her. If he could choose, he'd rather have a more curvaceous girl with him. Mikoto Suou, for example.

And there was also the issue of secrecy. It was Sunday, so they didn't have to worry about class. But what of the next day?

"What are we gonna do about... you know, our appearance?" he asked for her opinion. "We have school tomorrow. And my mother won't believe the hurt hand excuse forever."

She stopped sipping the milk to ponder over it. Indeed, the biggest problem persisted. They didn't know for how long they'd remain like that, so they needed to come up with a feasible long-term explanation for his hand.

Several minutes had passed until the girl decided to opine. "Perhaps, to our classmates, you could only say you got hurt during the weekend. They won't probe much into it." Then she resumed. "About your mother, what if you told her your arm got worse in the school? I mean, it's happened before, hasn't it?"

The boy lifted his hand to his chin and thought over the suggestion. Yeah, his arm did get injured once in school. Thank Tougou of class 2-D and his stupid arm wrestling challenge for it! When he came home that day, his mom was shocked to see his limb on a cast, but didn't ask much further. Even if this time he'd probably be yelled at for not being careful, she'd just leave it then. The main point, which was keeping 'miniature' Ichi-san a secret, should still be preserved.

Not to mention it'd be a good excuse for skipping his share of workload in the family's business. Being the lazy bum he was, any reason not to work was welcome.

"Well, that's a good idea, Ichi-san!" he admitted. "You're a genius!"

Although the compliment was more due to his relief than to praise her, Ichijou didn't seem to catch it, as her eyes brightened up in happiness.

"Imadori-san!" she squealed, lunging at his face.

Taken aback by the abrupt move, he frantically tried to push her from his cheek. "Hey, let go! Let go!"

When he attempted to push her away, the cloth that was still wrapped around her torso fell, and once again she was nude. With a gasp, Ichijou quickly covered herself with her arms and turned away.

Now with a slight blush on his face, Imadori noticed another issue: her clothing. Normally, he wouldn't have minded having a naked chick around (in fact, he'd be overjoyed), but the green-haired girl didn't exactly meet his 'D-cup' criteria. She was an A, B at most. Therefore he had no interest in the daily view of a topless Ichijou.

"We have to do something about your clothes." He pointed out, opening his desk drawer. He began rummaging through, hoping to find something that could be used as small-sized clothing. Perhaps the outfit of his Doujibiron action figures would do.

Covering herself with the cloth again, Ichijou waited while Imadori searched around. Out of curiosity, she took the opportunity to glance around her new surroundings. Her crush's room. Despite the fact that she'd been in love with him for so long, she barely knew anything about his family home.

It was when it occurred to her. She hadn't noticed it at first, with so rushed the situation had been. Nevertheless, now that things were calmer, realization finally hit and she scowled.

His room was coated with indecent, pornographic posters. Lots and lots of them, displaying big-breasted women either completely naked or in skimpy outfits.

Imadori was proceeding with his search when a sudden yank on his right arm interrupted him. The next thing he registered was a very hasty Ichijou dragging him along the room and tearing all his precious posters off of the walls.

"Ichi-san!" he protested, flabbergasted by both her actions and her strength. "What the heck are you doing?"

"I will NOT tolerate porn!" she replied, indignant. "While I'm here, these filthy things will have to go!"

"EEEHH!?" he shouted, turning desperate. "You can't throw my babes away! They're very important to me, you know."

She didn't appear to be listening to him, as she continued to rip every single poster off. By now, the poor guy was pulling his arm back, in a futile attempt to keep her from destroying his 'valuables'. Futile, because no matter how hard he struggled, it didn't hinder her a bit from her jealous antics. Being smaller didn't seem to have diminished her supernatural strength in the slightest.

_CRASH... BONK... THUMP..._

"Kyousuke!" his mother screamed from the kitchen. "Stop with the noise!"

Crap, he had to stop struggling, otherwise his mother would come in. But what about his babes!?

.

In the end, Ichijou hadn't gone through only the posters, but also his drawers and cupboard. Anything she found that could be remotely considered porn had been put inside a garbage bag: the magazines, the calendars, even the DVDs starring Azu Kimonaha and Moriyama Miruku that Nishimoto had lent him. How was he going to explain that to his friend? Huge teardrops fell from his eyes when his jealous companion released the bag from the window, directly inside a dumpster below.

"How could you, Ichi-san?" he mourned, half-crying. "You just threw away my soul!"

"Imadori-san!" she scolded, pointing her finger in a nagging tone. "You don't keep those things with a lady around! Besides, they're not meant for minors!"

Then, her eyes widened in surprise, as she just registered what she had done and said. Since when was she so bold? So energetic? So... imposing? In the last few hours, she had appeared out of the blue, replaced her love's right hand, invaded his privacy, cleaned out his entire room, criticized his lifestyle and even admitted she was happy to be with him. All of it when not long ago she could barely speak in his presence. What had really happened to her?

More importantly, what if Imadori disliked her because of the way she was acting?

Fortunately for her, Imadori was simply too depressed to even think about it, as he melted flat on the bed, sulking and whimpering like a child. Anyway, had he been mad, it was not like she could go away and leave him alone.

His cellphone rang. He absentmindedly picked it from his nightstand and flipped it open.

"Moshi moshi." He answered, without much emotion.

"Kyousuke?" replied the voice on the other side of the call. "It's Kozue. You called earlier?"

His crestfallen face immediately sprung back to life. "Kozue-chan! Yes, I called, but only got voicemail."

"He he, sorry," Mihara apologetically laughed. "I tend to oversleep on Sundays."

"Yeah. Me, too." The boy agreed, amused.

"Listen, Kyousuke," she started. "Are you free today? We can go karaoke downtown."

The response came almost instinctively to Imadori. "Sure, I'd love to go on a date with..."

His speech got abruptly cut off when he realized his little companion with a not-so-happy expression plastered. Simultaneously, his smile faded.

"Uh sorry, Kozue-chan," he said, equally not-so-happy. "Today I can't."

"Eh?" was the reply from the phone. "It's not like you to refuse a date, Kyousuke."

"Well, a few things happened, so I really won't be able to make it today."

An awkward silence followed until Mihara broke it. "Well, too bad then. Maybe next time. Bye-bye!"

"See ya." He muttered, before finishing the call under a green-headed admonishing glare.

Great, he thought dejectedly. Whether he liked it or not, now he was stuck together with a ridiculously strong and jealous girl... _literally_. That meant no freedom, no porn and no dates.

'This life sucks!' and he collapsed onto his bed.

* * *

******Itadakimasu / Gotsosama deshita = Thanks for the food (before the meal) / (after the meal)**

******Azu Kimonaha and Miruku Moriyama are fictional porn actresses mentioned in SR and MnH, respectively.**

******Right-hand Ichijou is not that difficult to portray. She and Midori behaved very alike in their real bodies, so it's reasonable to assume they'd act similarly as right-hands. Imadori's a bit more complex to portray. He looks very dumb and careless, but he actually can act smart when he's interested (the problem, of course, is keeping him interested).**

******A great thanks to too-much-romance, the best beta-reader in the world!  
**

******Please review.**


	5. Reminiscences

**I do not own School Rumble nor Midori no Hibi. They belong to Jin Kobayashi and Kazurou Inoue, respectively.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 05 – REMINISCENCES**

"What did you want to talk about, Seiji-kun?" Midori asked her boyfriend when they were alone.

Seconds earlier, Seiji had pulled her aside from Karen's room, claiming he needed to talk about something important. Something that he probably didn't want Kousuke nor Natsumi to overhear.

When he was sure that nobody else was listening, he began in a hushed tone. "Midori, you don't really remember anything from your coma time, do you?"

The green-haired girl answered by shaking her head.

"But you remember the time before the coma. You were in love with me ever since, right?" he continued to inquire.

This time she widened her eyes, in surprise. Why was he bringing this up all of a sudden? She couldn't avoid blushing as she started recalling those feelings of long ago.

"Yes," she replied coyly. "I was really in love with Seiji-kun, but I was too much of a coward to tell you. I used to spend almost every day watching you from afar, hoping that one day I'd be brave enough to confess to you.

"I was too afraid though. Afraid that you'd reject me and my dream of sharing a life with you would be crushed. At the same time, I was also afraid that if I took too long, another girl would get to you first and my chance would be lost forever. I lost count of how many nights I lay awake, dwelling over what to do.

"Then I fell into that coma. From those days, I recall nothing except some disperse thoughts and images, as I already told you. Only after I woke up, my memories started making sense again.

"However, something was different from before. I can't explain it, but it was. Maybe it was the strange visions, maybe it was the fear of never seeing you again, but suddenly I was feeling more confident about admitting my feelings for you. That was when I finally decided to muster up my courage and confess."

During her whole report, Seiji's eyes displayed a tender and nostalgic expression. The memory of that particular spring morning was deeply etched into his mind. That fateful day in the park when he saw, for the first time, Midori in her real body and mind. It had amazed him, in the beginning, how different her personality was from her 'miniature' version. While in his hand she was noisy, pushy and sometimes even annoying, her true self was very shy and self-conscious. Nonetheless, one fundamental trait remained, and that was which proved, without a doubt, that they were the same person.

The kindness she nourished for him. Her ever-present selflessness that always made him feel special. Her eyes that always showed trust and respect, instead of the fear or disdain that most people had for him.

Since then, they had become the pillars that supported each other's life. They simply couldn't live without each other's presences anymore.

Midori's voice then drew him out of his musing. "Why are you asking me this, Seiji-kun?"

'Oh yeah, the point!' Now wasn't the time to get lost in daydreams. There was another pressing matter at hand.

"Well..." he started, not knowing exactly how to explain. So he took a deep breath and made up his mind. Midori had to know this! She had the right to know.

For a while, he had presumed they could have lived on without bringing this issue back up. He had thought the past didn't matter, as long as they could remain together in the present. Even if she'd lost all the memories they had done together while as his right hand, it didn't matter. They would just redo them once more. He didn't mind starting over for her.

But now a new development had come. A member of her family was in trouble and only he possessed the knowledge that could help her.

He snorted meekly at the thought. He, the 'Mad Dog' Sawamura, the former delinquent that spread fear in the hearts of his enemies, carrying the sole knowledge that could save the day. Such irony! Seiji was never the 'knowledge' type of guy; he always spoke rather with his fists than with his head (except when he was head-butting, of course). Still, here he was, playing a role he'd never expected to.

'Shit! Stop dawdling, Seiji!' he mentally slapped himself, noticing he was just postponing what he had to do.

And so he did. "All right, Midori. What I'm gonna tell you sounds absurd, but wait until I finish to make any judgements, okay?"

Midori gave him all her hearing. Somehow she had the impression it was going to be really important.

.

At this point, Natsumi had arrived with a tray of tea and sweets. The only other person inside Karen's room was Kousuke, who was still sitting beside his sister.

"Kousuke, where are Midori-chan and Seiji-kun?" she inquired, setting the tray on the room's desk.

The boy just shrugged. "They went out of the room a few minutes ago. They haven't come back yet."

At the exact same moment, the door opened again, revealing the mentioned couple.

"Sorry, Auntie. Had to use the restroom." Midori excused for their absence. In her voice, a barely noticeable hint of nervousness was present. As for Seiji himself, he walked in silently.

"Oh, never mind," she gently dismissed, gesturing to the tray. "I brought you some tea and snacks."

"Thanks." The couple answered politely, each picking a teacup up and settling themselves at the bedside afterwards. Kousuke stood up and also helped himself to a cookie.

"So, any progress so far?" Mrs. Ichijou asked, anxious for good news.

Midori looked up at the older woman. For an instant she considered telling her about what she'd just found out minutes earlier.

.

_Time seemed to stretch out forever in that moment. It had been only seconds actually, but to the blond young man it felt like an eternity, as the green-haired girl processed everything that had been told._

_He said nothing, quietly waiting for her reaction. He wasn't expecting her to believe it at all. Heck, not even _he_ had believed at first. How such an event had happened was something that even human science couldn't fathom yet (the brief reminder of Dr. Makinoha made him shudder momentarily). Regardless, deep inside, he had a feeling that Midori would believe him._

_And it hadn't been only due to his perfectly-matching descriptions of her visions (some of which she hadn't even shared with Seiji, for all she knew) and the fact that being forced to live together 24/7 made you unlearn to lie very quickly. He also counted on the natural trust she had on him. Midori never really doubted Seiji's word, especially in this serious of a situation._

_'A man never goes back on his word', that was his motto._

_Still, the news that you used to be a part of someone else's body, more specifically a right hand, was simply too hard to swallow._

"_So, that means we've been together for longer than we've been dating?" she asked, her expression unreadable._

_Again, he said nothing, just nodded. So much had happened between them, and much had happened lately that he wasn't sure what else to say. Another unnerving silence ensued between the couple._

_Then the girl broke i__t again, her tone neutral."That's wha__t you've been keeping from me for this last year?"_

_Seiji nodded once more. He didn't trust on his voice to reply at the moment. By then, he was starting to chew on his lips in nervousness. Midori's voice held absolutely no anger, no resentment, and that was what unsettled him. In a way, he was almost hoping for her to begin yelling at him, so that he could atone for lying to her._

"_I don't get it, Seiji-kun," she continued. "Why now? Why did you hide it from me?"_

_This time, he awkwardly looked away. He didn't have an immediate response to that. She was right. It was an issue that concerned her as much as himself. Why did he hide it from her in first place?_

_A lot of explanations came up to his mind. Maybe he presumed she wouldn't believe him, although his guts were telling him the opposite. Maybe he didn't want to traumatize her with such a weird story. Or maybe, and he assumed it to be the most likely, he wanted to keep moving forward with Midori. The _real_ Midori who was now before him. Not the one who had been his right hand. As much as he wished to be with her like that again, when he could be closer to her and protect her better than ever, he knew that wasn't reality. A pang of guilt hit him for clinging to such a past. He couldn't help it, it was part of human nature to desire what they deemed safe._

_Anyway, none of those excuses seemed good enough now._

_Realizing her boyfriend's distress, Midori changed her question. "Seiji-kun, could you at least answer why you've decided to tell me then?"_

_Well, that was a less difficult question. Once again, he was thankful to her for being so considerate towards his feelings. She always thought of him first, but he had never really done anything for her in return._

"_You've done so much for me." Normally Seiji wouldn't act this sappy, however now seemed a good time to open his heart up. It was a start to make up for keeping her in the dark. "Helping your family is the least I can do in return."_

_Midori's once emotionless face shifted to an understanding smile. She reached up for his hands and held them on hers._

"_I believe you, Seiji-kun," she said, kindly gazing at his eyes. "Had anyone else told me that, I admit, I wouldn't have believed them. But if it's you, then I have no reason to doubt your word._

"_And I forgive you too for not telling me straight from the beginning, whatever your reasons must have been." Then her expression hardened a bit. "But I'll tell you, Seiji-kun. From now on, you should have more confidence on me. I'm actually stronger than I look."_

_He couldn't argue that. Not only did she believe him, she didn't freak out either. She wasn't even angry he kept such a huge secret from her. Midori was never the type to play guilt games. This was far more than he'd bargained for. All the tension that was weighting down on his shoulders suddenly melted away._

_It was on occasions like this that Seiji wondered how lucky he was to have ever met such a wonderful woman like Midori._

.

But Midori decided against it in the end. Her aunt would never believe it and, until they had proof, they'd rather investigate it discreetly.

"Still nothing." She shook her head, trying to look as casual as possible.

A grim feature took over Natsumi's expression. Not that she was actually expecting it to work so fast, still, there was always that tiny string of hope that the desperate hung on to.

"I see," the older woman muttered, disappointed. "Well, I'll be in the living room. If you remember anything, please come tell me."

As she left, Midori let out a small sigh. It bothered her to lie to other people, especially to her family. Her entire upbringing had taught her not to lie and doing so made her feel bad. Yet, the rational part of her mind kept warning her that saying the truth now would probably do more harm than good. So, for now, Seiji and Midori kept the revelation to themselves.

Then, the girl's eyes shifted to the figure of her sleeping cousin on the bed. Reminiscences of their childhood began popping on her head.

Despite the fact that she and Karen lived in different towns and had a significant difference in wealth status, that never seemed to stand between them. For them, they were family, and that was what mattered.

Besides, Midori had never been the snobbish or shallow type (having a former delinquent as her boyfriend being the living proof of that). No, she always treated others with respect, sometimes even more than they deserved. That was another trait that she and Karen shared actually, adding to their shyness and difficulty to deal with their feelings (once again, Seiji and that 'Blue' guy being the living proofs).

Truth be told, Midori had a great admiration for Karen, mainly due to her artistic talent (she was aware that her cousin was a gifted singer) and, obviously, her superhuman strength. The latter ability, in particular, was something that Midori rather envied her cousin for. From her childhood memories, she recalled those wrestling fights Karen liked to play. Those of course were meant only as children play, but that power of hers became more and more evident when even their older male cousins couldn't defeat her in a fight. For an instant, the memory of a green-haired little girl standing clueless in the middle of a bunch of knocked-out 12 to 15-years-old boys, while another green-haired little girl applauded, came to her.

Midori wondered, for a moment, what would it have been like if she possessed the same level of physical strength as her cousin. How would have Seiji reacted if he didn't have to go through all those street fights by himself? Would it have been easier for him to accept her? Or would it only have scared him away? As much as Seiji loved her, somehow Midori had the slight feeling that the idea of letting a woman fight alongside her boyfriend wouldn't sit right with him.

Nevertheless, it wasn't important now. They currently had information to gather. Although the whole story about her being once a part of Seiji's body still sounded odd, it was worth checking out.

"Uh Kousuke," she called, pointing at the picture frame on the nightstand. "That 'Blue' guy, do you know what his real name is?"

The boy scratched his head, in an effort to remember it. His older sister had many times pronounced his name; even so, he had never really cared to memorize it through. For him, he was 'Doujibiron Blue' and his sister's crush, so at the time he saw no need to learn more than that. In addition, being quite a hyperactive boy, Kousuke possessed a particularly low attention span.

He shook his head in denial. "I think it's something starting with 'I-', but I don't remember more than that."

"Do you know his number, or where he lives?" Seiji this time asked the question.

Again Kousuke just shook his head. "I usually meet him online, but he's not logged in now. Don't have his number or address either, but I think Nee-chan has." He said, pointing at his sister's phone on the dresser.

Picking up the mentioned device, Midori started searching through the contacts and call history. Most names, naturally, were unknown to her, only a 'Mom' here and a 'Kousuke' there were identifiable. However, judging by the frequency of calls, some names could be presumed as her friends, and discarded as the boy she loved. If Karen was anything like her, she probably would have been too embarrassed to call her crush too often, Midori concluded.

From the remaining names though, none of them started with 'I-'. So either he hadn't called in recently, or Karen must have deleted his contact.

Great. They had no names, no numbers, no addresses, no way of contacting this 'Blue' person. With at least his name, they could have searched in the phone book. They solely had his face, but it didn't help in a town with thousands of inhabitants. They could wait until Kousuke got in contact with him online, but if he didn't log in anytime soon, that would be pointless. This seemed like a dead end.

That was when another clue occurred to Midori. "Wait, you said that this guy was Karen's classmate, didn't you?" she asked Kousuke. He nodded.

"And you know where she studies, right?" Again, the boy nodded.

Well, it was going to take some time, and they'd have to wait until the next day to see, still there was a chance of finding 'Blue' in Yagami High.

And if the strange event that previously had befallen Seiji and Midori was happening now again, there was also the probability of finding Karen too.

* * *

******So far, MnH and SR characters have stayed mainly in their own universes, but on the next chapter, with the school, they'll start interacting more.**

******Please review.**


	6. School Starts

**I do not own School Rumble nor Midori no Hibi. They belong to Jin Kobayashi and Kazurou Inoue, respectively.**

* * *

**CHAPTER 06 – SCHOOL STARTS**

Monday had finally arrived. And along, the so-dreaded school time.

At least to Kyousuke Imadori. Riding to Yagami High, the blond playboy was doing the best he could to balance himself on his bicycle. After all, trying to keep your balance while holding on only one handlebar was harder than imagined. It didn't help either that he was quite sleep-deprived.

"Imadori-san, we need to hurry. We're going to miss the first lesson." Ichijou pressed on, hidden inside his jacket pocket. She was dressed in a pink leotard with white gloves. Granted, the outfit of one of Imadori's Doujibiron action figures, which luckily seemed to fit her perfectly. For practical reasons, the mask was left out.

The boy sighed in annoyance. Was his new companion going to nag like that all the time?

"Cut me some slack, Ichi-san," he whined, his voice a bit weary. "I didn't get any shut-eye last night."

That wasn't unexpected though. He had spent the rest of the previous day attempting to wrap his mind around this entire thing. Not to mention it was difficult to sleep while forcibly sharing a bed with someone you weren't that close to. Okay, it was just good, old Ichi-san he was talking about. Still, the strangeness of the situation kept him up all the night.

In addition, there was the not-less-awkward bath time. Showering with only one arm was tough enough, and even more considering that the two had to keep their eyes averted from each other.

In the end, the preparation for school which should have taken only twenty minutes, lasted for more than an hour.

"Imadori-san," Ichijou muttered, drawing his attention. "Do you think it'll be okay?"

He looked down at her. She was clearly worried. Who wouldn't, knowing the implications if they were ever smoked out?

"Beats me," he simply said. "I hope so."

Even the normally-overconfident Imadori couldn't give much reassurance this time. He was not looking forward to today's class either.

* * *

******Ichijou house**

In the small kitchen of the house, Midori and Seiji were eating breakfast with Mrs. Ichijou. Kousuke had already left earlier to school.

"So," Natsumi started. "You're going to Karen's school? You think you'll find something up there?"

Midori hummed a yes. "We're going to talk to a few friends of hers. And maybe take a look at her wrestling club. Who knows, it might point me in the right direction, if we shared the same exposure to something."

That, of course, was a lie she and Seiji had previously agreed upon it. The actual reason to go to Yagami High was to find this 'Blue' guy and verify if his right hand had anything 'odd' about it. But Natsumi didn't need to know about it. Not for now, at least.

Midori was gradually becoming better at lying, even if she didn't seem to notice it.

"But, Midori-chan," the older woman retorted. "Don't you and Seiji-kun have school yourselves today? Is it okay for you to simply skip classes?"

"Don't worry about it, Aunt Natsumi," she waved dismissively. "I'm doing great in my classes. If it's only one day, I can catch up with them later. Besides, helping Karen is more important."

However, she couldn't say it for sure regarding her boyfriend. She was aware that Seiji was already struggling to maintain his college scholarship and missing classes wasn't going to help him at all.

"Seiji-kun, I think you should have gone back though," the green-haired girl advised, toward the young man. "Won't it be troubling if you just skip classes like this?"

"Not at all," he casually replied, with a mouthful of omelet. "I have an absence limit, but it's okay if it's only for a day. Besides, there aren't many lectures scheduled for today anyway."

He sounded too casual, and Midori suspected Seiji was not giving it enough importance. He did need to study to keep up his grades and, even if helping a family member was important, she didn't want him to lose his scholarship because he got dragged into her family's problems.

Unknown to her, these indeed weren't the sole reasons that made Seiji stay. If Midori would stay at her aunt's house the whole time, he wouldn't have minded as much. She would be safe and, with clear conscience, he could have then returned to his house. But now that she was going to visit the local high school, there was no way in hell he'd let her out of his sight. Being a former delinquent, he knew far too well that those places were full of ravenous male predators.

"Oh, I can't thank you enough for your help," Mrs. Ichijou smiled, giving the couple a grateful bow. "I really appreciate what you're doing for Karen."

"Why, don't mind it, Auntie," Midori returned the courtesy. "We're happy to help."

"Do you want me to take you up to the school?" the older woman offered.

"No need for that. Kousuke gave us all the information we need."

With that, Natsumi politely wished them luck and proceeded to do the house chores while the young couple prepared to depart.

* * *

******Yagami High School, classroom 2-C**

The bell for the end of the first lesson had just rung. Amidst the crowd of students that followed, two girls approached an empty desk, having noticed its owner hadn't showed up for the day... _again_.

"Ichijou hasn't come today again." One of them sighed. She bore long dark-brown hair that stretched down to her waist.

"She's probably still sick." The other pointed out in a sad voice. This girl wore eye-glasses and had her black hair tied in two pigtail braids.

Her companion didn't answer. Megumi Sagano and Tsumugi Yuuki really missed their friend, Karen Ichijou.

"How long has it been now?" Sagano inquired, her tone somber.

"She stopped coming on Thursday, so I'd say about five days." Yuuki replied, matching her tone.

It did seem longer from when they had first learned of Ichijou's condition through her mother. According to the doctors, their friend had fallen into some sort of deep sleep; a coma, so to speak. During the following days, they had been going up to Ichijou's after school, trying to help the doctors figure out what had happened.

Nothing had come up though. No matter how much they racked their brains, they couldn't find a single reason for her current situation. No serious accident, no bump on her head, no major trauma, no nothing. In fact, just on the day before her coma, she had seemed perfectly healthy. A little depressed maybe (although they didn't know why), but nothing that could have caused... _this_.

The only day they hadn't visited her was on Sunday. Apparently, Mrs. Ichijou was expecting a family relative and the two girls didn't wish to intrude.

"You think," Sagano wondered. "We should have gone on Sunday too? Don't know, maybe we could have helped this family relative sort it out."

Yuuki just shook her head. "I'm not sure if we would have been of much aid. Even the doctors couldn't do much after all."

Then some moments of silence ensued, as the two girls gazed at the empty desk with saddened eyes.

"Hey, guys." A familiar female voice called out from behind.

The twosome turned around to see who it was. A tall, busty girl with shoulder-length navy-blue hair approached them.

"Hi there, Suou-san." Sagano greeted back, while Yuuki waved in reply.

"What's up with Ichijou?" Suou asked with a tint of concern. "She hasn't been showing up lately. Is she ill or something?"

Sagano and Yuuki then realized that most of the class would have noticed by now that Ichijou had been absent for awhile. Only they, however, had been told what had happened, as Mrs. Ichijou didn't want to make a fuss out of her family affairs.

They pondered over it for a second and then concluded it wouldn't be much of an issue if Mikoto Suou learned of it. She was a reliable classmate and appeared to be on good terms with Ichijou. She wouldn't tell anyone, except maybe her closer friends, but they would keep it a secret (okay, they weren't so sure about Tenma, but even so, they'd just have to ask Suou to make it clear to her dim-witted friend).

Sagano decided to be the one to shoot the bullet. "She's ill, indeed. The doctors said it's some sort of induced coma."

Suou's eyes widened at the revelation. "Induced coma!?" she exclaimed, shocked. When the other students turned to stare at her, she lowered her tone. "What caused it?"

Yuuki shook her head. "They don't know, and that's the problem. All we've been told to do is wait until something changes about her condition."

The taller girl was astounded by the news. Out of all the people, Ichijou had fallen victim to an unknown disease? Suou was very aware of how strong the green-headed was and to think she had been taken down by a disease sounded impossible to her. Part of her was in utter disbelief.

Nevertheless, she still felt sympathetic for her classmate. "I see. Poor Ichijou. Maybe I'll drop by hers later to see how she's doing."

"Suou-san, can you please keep it a secret?" the bespectacled girl pleaded. "Her mother doesn't want a show out of it."

"Don't worry. My lips are sealed," Suou assured them. Then she noticed something else: all day, nobody had lunged at her, trying to fondle her 'assets'. It was when she glanced at another likewise empty desk in the same row. "Now that I think about it, Imadori-kun hasn't shown up today either."

Ichijou's friends scowled at hearing that name. "Don't mention that pervert!" the brown-haired girl harshly commented.

A similar mood could be seen on Yuuki too. "That insensitive jerk! I bet he hasn't even noticed that Ichijou's been missing."

It was unexplainable, yet deep inside the two girls' minds, they had a feeling that Imadori was somehow to blame for Ichijou's state. It was common knowledge in 2-C that Ichijou nourished a big crush on the blond guy, although it seemed to be unrequited. They didn't say any of those thoughts aloud though, naturally.

Call it coincidence or irony, but the moment those words left their mouths, the spoken devil appeared right at the classroom door.

"Sorry I'm late." Imadori quickly announced as he entered and headed straight to his desk. His right hand was tucked into his pocket.

"Imadori-kun!" shouted an authoritative guy with short hair and eye-glasses. "You're awfully late! What's your explanation for missing the first lesson?"

The blond boy groaned weakly at the annoying class 2-C's representative. Gee, Hanai could be such a pain in the ass sometimes.

"Sorry, dude," he almost whispered, discreetly showing his heavily bandaged right hand. "Got my hand hurt and took longer than usual to prepare myself."

"WHAAAT!?" Hanai yelled, exaggerating and being unnecessarily dramatic. "What have you done to get yourself hurt like that? As 2-C's representative, it's my duty to oversee the physical integrity of my fellow classmates and make sure no harm befall them!"

As the class representative continued on with his rambling, Imadori held down the urge to tell him to shut it. He had expected to keep his 'injury' under discretion, talking about it only if somebody asked. But now with Hanai screaming it out loud, by now, everyone in the class would be aware of it.

Before anyone asked though, the bell for the next lesson rang, forcing all the students back to their desks.

The blond boy breathed a sigh of relief when Tani-sensei arrived in the room (never thought he'd actually be happy to see the boring teacher). Some of the students sat next to him were eyeing his bandages, a few murmuring about 'too-much-exercise-in-the-bathroom', but at least for now, nobody would pry into his situation directly. And, as an extra, he thankfully sat with the classroom wall to his right, so it'd be harder for any of the others to spot Ichijou.

He didn't seem to notice though the glare of two of Ichijou's friends from the other side of the room, who were nowhere near sympathetic for his hand.

_'Serves him right!'_

* * *

******Outside Yagami High School, a few hours later**

Out in the small square in front of Yagami High, Midori and Seiji had been sitting on the park bench for awhile. They were drinking warm canned coffee that Seiji had purchased minutes earlier.

"I don't know why we're still waiting here," Seiji complained, a bit bored of sitting out there. "We could have just gone to his classroom, dragged him out, and checked on his hand."

"Don't, Seiji-kun!" defended Midori. "This is not our school, so we can't simply barge into his classroom. The most polite thing to do is wait until lunchtime."

"Yeah, yeah." He waved dismissively, not wanting to get into an argument with his girlfriend.

"You remember the plan, right?" she reminded him. "We don't know his name yet, so let me do the talking. They'll probably trust me more, since I'm Karen's cousin."

"Sure, sure, whatever." He complied, turning back to his coffee. His mind, however, was focused on her attitude rather than the plan.

Interesting how things had developed after all those years. _Midori_ doing the talking; that was an initiative that Seiji had never expected her to take. Since the day they had started dating, she seemed to have become more confident and social. From what he had been told by her mother and Kouta, Midori used to have difficulties to talk even with her own classmates in Ogurabashi.

Still, this new attitude made her more beautiful in his eyes than ever. Gradually, she was becoming more and more like 'miniature' Midori. He had once heard somewhere that girls only blossomed to their full potential when they were loved. It made him question: was it possible that he was the one responsible for her change, just as she was for his?

"Seiji-kun," she coyly whispered, interrupting his musing. "Do you think Karen will be on this 'Blue' guy's arm? Just as I've been once on yours?"

"Maybe. That's what we came for." He plainly shrugged, not elaborating more.

Midori pried further though. "But what if she's... you know, happy with her condition?" Her voice was shy, as if she was saying something wrong. "What if she doesn't want to leave him?"

'Just as I didn't with Seiji-kun.' She mentally completed.

The blond man tightened his lips. He wasn't really willing to talk about it, but he knew it would eventually pop up. That revelation was probably weighing heavily on her mind, just as guilt was still dwelling within his. Even so, he couldn't come up with a satisfactory answer to his girlfriend's question.

Fortunately for him, he didn't have to, as the school bell suddenly rang, announcing the end of the morning period.

"It's time. Come on." He beckoned, as they both stood up from the bench and headed towards the building.

* * *

******Yagami High School, classroom 2-C**

The bell couldn't have rung soon enough to Imadori. No matter how unsuspecting the class appeared to be, the fear of being discovered constantly plagued his mind. He was simply a ball of nerves.

This entire sense of paranoia was new to him. Normally as a laid-back guy (many times to the point of carelessness), he wasn't used to bearing with such an important secret. He wasn't the type to care about a whole lot of things, but he did care about his reputation (as if the playboy fame was something to keep up with). If anyone found out about his hand, he would forever be labeled as some sort of freakish mutation. Absolutely no girl would want to go out with him after that. Not to mention that the scientists and reporters would never let him live it down. His tranquil, carefree life would be over then.

Not a millisecond after the class had finished bowing to Tani-sensei, he immediately picked up his bag and strode out of the classroom. He didn't want to give his colleagues a chance to inquire about his hand. Luckily for him, today's afternoon period was reserved for club activities, thus he didn't have to stay if he wasn't part of any.

He walked in a fast pace through the school hallways, trying not to run, as it would cause any passing teacher to stop and scold him. Heading toward the exit, he took an alternative route than the main hallway in order not to stumble upon anyone he knew. His priority was to get out of there while drawing as minimal attention as possible.

Therefore, he didn't cross paths with a couple heading in the opposite direction.

.

Some of the students in 2-C looked quite bewildered at Imadori's behavior today. And not only his friends, to whom he had barely spoken a word before rushing out of the classroom.

Even a few of his not-so-close classmates were left confused. Suou, in particular, found it odd how that pervert was acting surprisingly quiet today and hadn't attempted to grope her at any time.

'Maybe he just had a bellyache.' She presumed, half-joking, half-serious. That reminded her that she needed to visit the washroom before lunch with her friends.

She excused herself and headed to the door. The instant she left the classroom however, the tall girl almost bumped into a couple right outside. First thing noticed were their civilian clothes, so these people weren't likely Yagami students.

Although what really caught her off-guard was that the woman of the couple looked remarkably familiar to her.

.

"_Class 2-C._" Midori read out the door label. "It's here, Seiji-kun. Karen's classroom."

"Good, let's get in then." He said, reaching for the knob.

Before he could though, the door was opened and from inside came out a tall, blue-haired woman. She stopped short, nearly bumping into them. Then, without apparent reason, she began staring at Midori in shock.

.

"I-Ichijou?" Suou stammered, eyeing the green-haired girl in confusion.

"Eh!?" Midori muttered in return, uncomfortable with the taller girl's gaze. "N-No, my name's Midori."

Then it registered in Suou's mind. The girl before her looked very alike Ichijou, including her sweet tone of voice, yet there were a few subtle differences. Her hair was a lighter shade of green and her eyes were blue, instead of Ichijou's lead gray. This one's face shape looked a bit wider too.

As comprehension finally sank in, Suou ceased her staring and relaxed. "Sorry, sorry. My bad," she laughed, rubbing the back of her neck. "I mistook you for someone else. A friend of mine named Ichijou."

"Karen Ichijou?" Midori inquired in a hopeful tone. "You're a friend of Karen?"

"Uh, yeah," Suou replied, awkwardly. She and Ichijou weren't exactly close, but she did care for the cute wrestler. "Why? You know her?"

"I'm her cousin, Midori Kasugano. Pleased to meet you," she politely bowed. She then gestured to the blond young man behind her. "And this is my boyfriend, Seiji Sawamura."

Suou's eyes widened again in surprise. This girl was a family relative of Ichijou? Why, considering how much they resembled each other, it shouldn't have come out as a surprise. She recomposed herself before greeting back.

"Pleasure's mine. I'm Mikoto Suou," she bowed in return. "If you want to see your cousin, unfortunately she didn't come today."

Midori shook her head slightly. "No, no. We came to see another person actually. Karen's boyfriend... you know, blond hair, kind of messy... half-dropped eyelids... I forgot his name, but it started with 'I-'..."

Of course, she knew that 'Blue' guy wasn't her cousin's boyfriend. Nonetheless, it would have sounded suspicious if they had just started asking questions about a random classmate, whose name they didn't even know. So she gave on only his general appearance and hoped it would be enough to pass.

Suou, on her side, raised an eyebrow in doubt. By 'boyfriend', they couldn't possibly be talking of Imadori, could they? Would Ichijou have really referred to that pervert as her boyfriend?

"Well," she began. "I know a guy in the class that matches this description, but I can't say for sure if he's her boyfriend. His name is Kyousuke Imadori."

'_Kyousuke Imadori._' Midori memorized. Now she and Seiji had a name to narrow the search with.

"Yes, that's the name," Midori feigned recognition. "Can you please call to him?"

The blue-headed displayed an apologetic expression. "Hmm sorry, you're out of luck today. He just left the moment the bell rang. If you're fast, perhaps you can reach him." She finished, pointing at the main entrance's direction.

'Oh, no!' the green-headed girl mentally snapped. She turned to her boyfriend. "Seiji-kun, we should go..." she halted at seeing the dazed look on his eyes. A tinge of anger boiled inside of her once she realized that the young man was staring right below Suou's neckline, so she spoke a little louder this time. "Seiji-kun!"

Pulled out of his trance, he instantly replied. "Oh, sure. Let's go!"

The couple thanked the blue-haired woman for the information and rushed toward the exit afterwards.

.

Unbeknown to them, at the end of the hallway where they were talking, a male student with long, stretched-up blond hair seemed particularly shocked with the sight of the outsider couple.

"That guy..." the figure mumbled. "I'm sure I've seen him somewhere before."

* * *

******Oh, well. What did you think? Please review and let me hear your thoughts.**


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